Had a Reiki Session and it Did Not Work?

I sometimes hear of people saying they had a Reiki session and it did not work. And although it may well be the case that Reiki did nothing for the person, sometimes it is simple a matter of perspective. Let me illustrate with a couple of examples.

"Mariam" came to see me for Reiki. She did not say much and was visibly tense before we started. A scan of her aura before we started revealed a very disrupted energy. I gave her an hour's Reiki. Before she left, I explained that sometimes people feel emotion or discomfort as the energy continues re-balancing for a few days afterward and that should this happen, to simply observe it and let it pass. She told me later that after that session, she had a healing crisis for a day or two followed by the the most amazing calm she had experienced in years. This calm lasted a whole month or so. Mariam was very happy with the benefits of her Reiki treatment.

"Richard" received Reiki from his wife when he was in pain. Five minutes after she lay hands on him, the throbbing headache that was keeping him awake that night was forgotten as Richard fell asleep and was snoring happily away. Richard slept well that night. When he got up in the morning, he said to his wife that he felt nothing during the treatment and that it did not work. But his wife saw him sleep and heard him snore, whereas his headache had been so bad that he could not sleep!

Two stories. Two points of view. Did the Reiki work or not? And why were the results felt so differently?

There are of course reasons why:

• The "Apex" effect in energy healing. This is a phenomenon where the person forgets how bad they had felt and so therefore does not notice a difference when they are better.
• The subtle way in which Reiki works. A newcomer to Reiki, even if they have had a session or two before, can easily miss the subtle re-balancing of their energy that Reiki can produce.
• The healee's expectations; for example, if someone expected to see lights and angels and they did not. Or if they expected the session to free them of symptoms straight-away. Of course, that does happen too, but it is not the norm. Reiki goes to wherever it is most needed for the highest good. So what it does may not be what we want but what we need at the time.

I hope this helps put your mind at rest. If you feel Reiki did not work and still have doubts after reading this, perhaps you can try a different practitioner and see if that makes a difference for you. Or maybe you can book a Reiki class and explore more in-depth how you can heal yourself.

© Suzanne Zacharia 2010. My name is Suzanne Zacharia and I am committed to spreading the word about health options. A virus caught at university at the end of 1986, plus medical negligence, meant that I got smokers lung at a relatively young age. In desperation for help with my symptoms and quality of life, I turned to complementary therapy and am now a complementary therapist, author and trainer, helping others achieve health and happiness. Want to use this article? You can, as long as you credit me with it and invite your readers to get my FREE book "7 Real Truths of Energy Psychology" at http://www.newagetherapies.com or my free course "5 Days To Change Your Life" at http://www.NewAgeInternationalTraining.com.